Creativity and innovation are generally understood as routine drivers of successful organizational growth. Organizations are facing enormous pressure to innovate in order to attain competitive advantage from the global environment that is increasingly becoming intricate and competitive. Due to this, organizational management has to inculcate or reinforce culture of creativity and innovation within organization; however, much of the focus in this endeavor is on the individual level but team work is also essentially encouraged. Individuals are of vital importance in creativity and the innovation process requires a supportive well-managed atmosphere that can translate novel ideas into innovative product effectively.
Generally the two concepts are diverse as creativity can be production of new ideas and concepts, which are applied through a process, which then becomes innovation. This states that any innovation is a process that is based on the creativity of mind(s) and creativity is reliant on innovation to become tangible. Therefore, we may recognize that innovation is the implementation of creativity. Creativity and innovation are often considered as behaviors that can be stimulated within an organization by pursuing a measuring process to measure results.
Creativity can be accomplished through cognitive decision-making process in which decision making body learns to be conscious about the environment, thinks and learns from past experiences and then analyses before deciding. On the other hand, innovation process is creative idea in steps starting from idea generation, then primary analysis leading to the stage of taking decision to adopt, and finally implementation of the idea.
It is very significant for global economic companies to improvise and innovate regularly. Organizations need to understand what customer’s wants, what are the substitutes of our product, how is the competition in the market, technological attributes present in market, and the number of fiascos in market.
Examples of Organizations known for their Creativity and Innovation
3M is an organization which is cited to be one of the frequent examples of innovation. It originated from sandpaper and paper products to a company with 50,000 products in its range. From post-it notes to heart-lung machine it has transformed into a giant company with over $15 billion annual sales. It is still more creative and innovative than many small scale companies which reflect its suppleness to adapt. The company is in business from, just over 100 years. It trusts in creating condition for innovation to happen from any one direction amongst so many directions. They purposefully avoid too much structure in work place as it would restraint innovation. They give acknowledgment to innovation in the organization also respect in the practice of Hall Of Fame is carried out. They stress on power of connotation, acceptance of creative people in organization who want to do something new. They convert volunteers from colleges, involvement of customers etc. to open new perspectives for business.
IBM is an organization which is a noteworthy technology service innovator. Over the past decades it has undertaken extensive and successful reconfiguration in corporate history. It has certainly redefined itself from a manufacturer to a class service provider. It has worked on network and external coalition. It continues to strike stability between exploration and exploitation. IBM is constantly working on getting new ideas and developing them into business potentials by carrying brainstorming sessions amongst its research labs all over the world. In 2006 they asked its employees worldwide to post their ideas as how IBM’s technology can be used in problem solving as a step to identify new business/market opportunities for the firm. In a period of 72 hours more than 150,000 people from 104 nations contributed towards the ‘Innovation Jam’. Apart from its employees their family members, universities associates, business partners and clients from 67 nations suggested more than 46000 ideas. The company allocated $100 million for two years as to select ten best plans and pursue them into business opportunities.
TATA MOTORS came into limelight and acknowledged by world with introduction of a new car in Rs.100,000 i.e. $2200 (approx.). Chairman of TATA Sons versioned a car for middle class families in India as he saw a family of 4 travelling on two-wheeler. So he wanted common man to have luxury and safety of a car in their budget. His team worked hard to provide and fulfill his vision into reality with commitment and dedication and it is now paying off with sales volume of the company. Earlier car was a luxury and status symbol for rich but he made it a safe mode of transport and within the budgets of two-wheeler families. Mr Ratan Tata’s vision was criticized by critics as they had an opinion that it is impossible to have a car in that price which can comply with standards. Mr Ratan Tata backed his team when the employees were facing difficulties to cope up with the cost, he encouraged them and said don’t feel disappointed if you don’t succeed as this is never tried before and he said I believe if this task is to be completed it is only this team which can make it happen. The word acted as great motivator and in March 2009 it was launched with a fuel economy of 23.6 Km/litre which is very important for middle class families. It also surprised everyone by complying with Euro-V and BS-V with minimal modification which led no choice with its critic but to praise the product.
The most interesting amongst all is development of a brand Freitag Bags. Two graphic designer brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag were on the lookout for a messenger bag. They wanted a long-lasting, practical and water-repellent bag to carry their designs. They started designing bags from ‘precious materials’: old inner tubes of bicycle tires, seat belts saved from the ravaging teeth of junkyard dogs and more, many more stinking canvases. They developed bags in their home and now managing production of these special bags in Switzerland beside the same cross city highway which inspired them. They produce each bag with different designs each of their bag is unique from other. They are selling their bags all over the globe with over 300 shops and online web shop. They also obligate that as they are Swiss they are quality conscious due to the nature of material used. The bags are no longer stitched on-site, but they are outsourced to a manufacturing facility which employee disabled people. So we have got that social aspect too — apart from the eco-friendly aspect of using all recycled materials. This is serious. Words like ‘innovation’, ‘creativity’ and ‘niches’ and other semantic straws people use to make sense in the area of consumer products. Freitag bags are like a little inspiration in the shadowy, suggesting us that look — it is possible to just make a good product — even at times when everyone else has restricted their productivity to the buying and selling of stocks and bonds.